


taking out the trash

by GucciAspirin



Series: things ppl told me to write [3]
Category: Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: F/F, minor rinpana if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-16
Updated: 2017-03-16
Packaged: 2018-10-05 21:44:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10317614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GucciAspirin/pseuds/GucciAspirin
Summary: Nico has noodle arms and too much pride. Nozomi accepts that. // Cross posted from tumblr





	

**Author's Note:**

> promt: "This is probably a rly vague prompt, but If you're up for it, maybe some domestic NozoNico (or NozoNicoEli, whichever you'd prefer :') )"
> 
> ~all mistakes mine

Nico thinks - and not for the first time tonight - about how she should have just said no. But Nozomi asked, and it didn’t seem like a huge deal, so Nico just shrugged it off with a wave of her hand. _“Yeah, yeah,”_ she had muttered before Nozomi kissed her on the cheek before going to the kitchen.

And now Nico has been hauling this giant ass garbage can for 15 minutes, wondering how the hell Nozomi moves this thing twice a week. Does she do secret weight training or something?

This thing is only two inches taller than Nico! And Nozomi is not that much taller than her so this is just ridiculous.

Nico huffs and shakes out her arms. Maybe she should start paying for someone to do this. Afterall, she’s a professional idol and it wouldn’t be hurting their bank account. But then again Nozomi won’t even agree on a bimonthly gardener (though she claims it’s because she “likes” to do the gardening with Nico, but jeez there are other ways to spend time together).

“Come on,” Nico murmurs, and sets to push the garbage can down their driveway again. It’s got wheels at least, too bad it’s back heavy. Nico ponders on how after two years of living together this is the first time she’s ever taken out the trash. And she didn’t even lift it into the can. All she’s doing is pushing it to the front of the driveway for pickup!

Maybe this is Nozomi’s subtle way of telling her that she needs more arm work. But that doesn’t seem right. Nico whines and pushes her entire body forward against the garbage can while trying to control it so it doesn’t collapse while going down the driveway. Why do they have so much damn trash anyways?

Finally, after another ten minutes of pushing, Nico’s got it in place. She wipes her upper lip with her sleeve and swallows. “Nothing,” she breathes out, “outdoes the great Nico Nii.” She heaves and kicks the garbage can lightly with the tip of her toe. “Take that.”

The garbage can, as expected, does not respond.

When Nico comes back inside she’s covered in sweat, and Nozomi is giving her this confused look. She looks Nico up and down a few times, as if expecting an explanation. Nico walks past her to grab a glass of water.

“You were gone for so long,” Nozomi says, and then teasingly, “I thought you were leaving me, Nicocchi.”

Logically, this is where Nico should tell Nozomi what happened. That she couldn’t move the garbage can. But then Nico thinks about how Nozomi’s been doing this for years, and despite being together for so long and thinking about how she shouldn’t be embarrassed…it’s embarrassing.

She couldn’t move a freaking garbage can. Nico’s still got her pride after all!

Nico looks Nozomi into eyes, and as seriously as she can muster, she says: “I went for a jog.” She downs the rest of the water before getting another full glass. To avoid further questioning - because more often than not, Nozomi sees right through Nico - she says, “So how is Rin? She’s the one who called, right?” Nico had been looking at her phone when Nozomi said she was taking a call, but she thinks Nozomi mentioned Rin.

“She’s great! I was gonna put you on the phone with her but you went out jogging.” Nozomi pauses, then arches a brow and gives that mischievous smile that both sets Nico on edge an excites her all at once - depending on the situation. “Were you just being anti social?”

“Eh?” Nico turns red. “Nico? Never!” she huffs. Damn garbage can.

Nozomi leans in and kisses her gently on the mouth, and Nico is briefly thankful that her upper lip isn’t so sweaty anymore. “Good. Because she’s coming over this weekend with Hanayo.” Nozomi kisses her again. “Okay?”

Nico gives a lazy smile that borders on smirk. “Okay,” she says, though she’s happy they’ll be coming over. “I’m gonna shower now. Because I’m sweaty. From all the, you know, uh… running. Nico has to keep fit!” Nico winks and raises her sign in flashy show.

Nozomi eyes her, and for a frightening second Nico think she might have overplayed the whole jogging thing, but then Nozomi kisses her again, longer. With their noses and lips still touching, and Nico very very flustered again from something that has nothing to do with a garbage can. Nozomi says, “I’ll meet you in a few,” before prancing off.

Nico gulps and laughs to herself as she walks to the shower. Good thing she’ll probably never have to take out the garbage again.

*********

Nico has to take out the garbage again that weekend. And Nozomi had said it so casually while walking into the kitchen, Nico couldn’t even find an excuse. Not with Rin and Hanayo just staring.

So now, Nico has a dilemma because Nico could barely move the garbage can down the driveway, let alone take the trash bag out of the can and haul it over. Nico gulps and looks around, then faces Rin and Hanayo. Both look back at her, blank faced.

“What?” Rin says after a moment of silent staring.

Nico’s cheeks heat up, and muttering, she says, “Help me with the trash.”

“Excuse me?” Hanayo says in a small, confused voice.

Nico swalows. “I need help with the trash, but it needs to look like I did it on my own. Rin!” Nico smiles at her.

“Eh?” Rin looks around as if there is someone else named Rin in the room which causes Nico to roll her eyes, but she quickly reverts back to her smile.

“Help Nico with the trash!”

“Why?”

Nico misses when they were in high school and she could pretend that this was some sort of elaborate idol training.

Luckily, Hanayo steps in. “I’ll help!” she says with a determined tightening of lips.

“I’ll help too then, nya!” Rin nuzzles into Hanayo, and instead of asking why Rin wouldn’t help when she asked, Nico stands and cracks her knuckles. “Okay, the plan is to get Nozomi out of the kitchen.”

“But she is out of the kitchen,” Rin says.

Nico looks over toward the kitchen, puzzled. “When did she leave?”

“About a minute ago.”

Nico runs for the trash can before waving frantically for Rin and Hanayo to come and help her out. Hanayo grabs an end, and Nico grabs an end, but it’s still heavy. Thankfully Rin is stronger than the both of them, so when she goes to help Hanayo it lifts easily.

The three of them walk with the trash back held up, Nico making sure not to touch the bottom.

“So why can’t Nozomi know?” Rin asks.

Nico slows down for a second. “What kind of person can’t take out the garbage,” Nico admits softly.

“Well it isn’t like she doesn’t know you’re weak, right?” Rin asks, as if it’s just an observation.

Nico huffs and nearly drops the bag. “Nico, the number one idol in the universe, is not weak!”

They make it to the garage, and Hanayo opens the door, then the garage. The sound barely muffles Rin’s brief laughter. “You’re good at other things, though!” Rin says.

Hanayo nods at that. “Your idol career, your knowledge of idols, your idol collection, your-”

“Yeah,” Nico says, “I’m good with idol stuff. But I can’t even move a stupid garbage can.” Nico stops.“Oh! One of you go back before Nozomi realizes something is up.”

Hanayo blushes and smiles. “I’m not very strong either,” she says looking at Nico. The reflection of her glasses shows a slightly sweaty, reversed image of Nico.

She walks off, leaving Rin and Nico with the garbage can. Rin moves it down with ease, Nico following in behind. “So you’ve never taken out the trash? Even when you were younger?”

Nico grimaces and scratches the back of her neck before giving off a nervous laugh. “Funny thing about that…”

“You had your siblings do it?” Rin asks, eyes wide.

“No!” Nico gets offended at the thought. They’re even smaller than her! “I always just got the trashman to come inside when he went for collection. I mean, when Mama wasn’t home to do it.” Nico smiles and tries to ignore the bewildered look Rin is giving her.

“What are you going to do if Nozomi keeps asking you to take out the trash and we’re not here?”

Nico winks. “Leave the thinking to Nico!”

*****

Nico has no plan when Nozomi asks her to take out the trash again. It’s just, she thought that maybe she would get lucky or something?

Nico stalls as Nozomi awaits an answer.

“Uh. Nico can do the dishes!”

Nozomi frowns, the corners of her lips tilting down a little. She walks up to Nico and takes her hands. “Your hands are softer than mine,” she says, then leans in.

“Huh?”

“I just thought maybe you were tired of doing the dishes and getting them all pruny.”

Nico sighs and hangs her head. “Yeah, yeah,” she mutters. Luckily it’s in the driveway this time, but still. Pursing her lips, Nico takes out her phone and texts the one person who might be able to help her. Maki lives five, maybe three minutes away if she speeds.

_Nico: Hey! You gotta come over here quick. It’s an emergency_

_Maki: It’s nine pm_

_Nico: What are you 40? Come on, it’s really important_

After 7 minutes, 2 of them being extreme persuasion, Maki’s over. She parks on the sidewalk as asked, and walks up, her steps heavy from what is most likely annoyance.

“What?” she asks. She’s wearing her pajamas with a coat draped over. Jeez, she really was about to go to bed. How lame.

“I need help,” Nico says.

“You said that already.”

Nico clears her throat. “It’s…the trash.”

“The trash? Is something in it? Where is Nozomi?”

“The house, but that’s not the point. I just,” Nico bites the inside of her lip and looks away. “Help me take it out,” she mutters.

“What?”

“Help me take it out.”

“Are you telling me you texted me to come here just so I could…take out your trash?”

Nico says nothing, only looks around sheepishly. After a moment of silence, she says, “You gonna help me or not?”

Maki glares. “I’m leaving.” She doesn’t even give Nico time to argue before she turns and walks away. Why couldn’t it be Honoka who lived super close. Honoka would have helped with no questions. Or Kotori. Eli would tell Nozomi.

16 minutes later, Nico has done it. Her face is slick with sweat despite the chill in the air, but the garbage can is down. She walks in with a heavy breath, and goes straight to the shower. When she comes out, Nozomi is on the couch watching some television program. Nico can tell she’s not completely paying attention to it, her eyes are slightly glazed over.

“Nicocchi,” she says when she hears the soft pad of Nico’s feet on the floor. “Did you go out for a jog again?”

Nico gulps. “Ye-yeah. What are watching?” she asks before sitting next to Nozomi. She lies down,exhausted, with her head on Nozomi’s lap. Nozomi wipes a stray hair back and smiles down at her.

“I don’t know. Something that was just on. A drama, I think.”

Nico yawns. “Boring.” She sinks further and lets her eyes flutter closed for just a moment. Nico has always felt oddly at ease when with Nozomi. It’s like the tension in her body can relax for just a moment.

“What do you want to watch?”

Nico tries to think for a second, but keeps losing track of her thoughts. Nozomi is running her hand through her hair over and over again, fingers light against her scalp. “You pick,” Nico says slowly. Her eyes stay closed.

Nozomi gives a breathy laugh that turns into a slow sigh. The channel doesn’t change. “Do you remember when we first got together?” Nozomi asks. Her voice is quiet, but the words are clear even with the buzz of the tv.

“Huh?” Nico says, she opens her eyes. That was years ago now. Nozomi is so weird sometimes. Nico blushes and thinks about how that’s one of her favorite things about Nozomi, how she can stand out while being purposely subtle.

“You confessed,” she says. Nico’s cheeks get even hotter as she thinks about it. 

She didn’t even mean to, or maybe she did - but it happened so fast after graduation. She was just talking and talking and talking and then it came out in this annoyed, disheveled way. And after so long of thinking Nozomi couldn’t possibly feel the same way. Nozomi sighs. “I was so happy,” she says, chuckles.

“You were?” Nico blurts out, before coughing. “I mean, of course - of course you were.” Nozomi brings her hand down to touch Nico’s cheek and then her lip.

“I was scared,” she giggles, “I don’t know if I could have said that without feeling like a burden.”

Nico sits up and huffs. She swallows, makes her voice firm. “You know I love you.”

Nozomi’s hand is still on her cheek. She leans in and kisses the corner of Nico’s mouth. “I know,” she says before kissing Nico fully. Her lips and plump, body soft. She tastes a little minty and Nico thinks that she must have brushed her teeth right after dinner. Nico pulls away at the clear sound of Nozomi’s laugh.

“Hey, Nicocchi. Why didn’t you tell me you couldn’t get the trash can down the driveway?”

Nico jerks so hard she falls off the couch. “What?” she says, startled, head peaking up. Nozomi is laughing even harder now. Nico glares before getting up to sit on the couch again. “You knew?”

Nozomi nods. There might be tears in her eyes. Well, at least Nico can say that after years of being together she can still make Nozomi laugh. Whatever that counts for. “You never take jogs at night. I noticed when you took longer than five minutes.”

“And you didn’t help me?” Nico asks.

Nozomi laughs into her hand, one brow quirked up. “Would you have let me?”

Nico crosses her arms and huffs. “You let poor, innocent Nico go through all that.”

“You could have asked for help.”

Nico glares again before sighing. “It’s just…I thought. I-” she stops. “Who can’t push a garbage can down a driveway?”

“You,” Nozomi says with a short laugh. “But you do a lot of other things, yeah?” She leans in again, hand coming to cover Nico’s. “You cook well,” she says. Her fingers twine with Nico’s. “And you’re talented.” She kisses Nico. “And when you really have to say something, you say it.” She’s nearly on top of Nico now, and Nico’s body feels fuzzy and full.

Every day Nico thinks she feels more and more. “And you’re good at other things, too.” A mischievous glint hits her eyes but then they soften once more. “So I don’t mind if you can’t carry a garbage can.”

Nico ducks her head. “I’m…sorry I didn’t mention it.”

“I don’t mind that either,” Nozomi says, her lips up in a soft smile. “But you don’t have to hide things like that.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Nico murmurs.

“I love you.”

Nico smirks. “I know.”


End file.
